Half A Week Before The Winter
by OMGitsNAOMI
Summary: Songfic OCxSB Capella Anderton goes through quite a few struggles, but Sirius Black is there for her. Half A Week Before The Winter by Vanessa Carlton.


**Half A Week Before The Winter**

A/N: Song-fiction between my OC and SB. :) Half A Week Before the Winter is by Vanessa Carlton. Read and review if you please.

Disclaimer: What you know is JKR's, everything else is obviously mine.

_Half a week before the winter  
The chill bites before it comes_

Snow was falling and the outdoors had become a silent wonderland of black and white. A small girl pressed her nose against the window and smiled at the night.

As her breath fogged up a small circle, she pulled her small, petite face back and traced out a heart on the glass. She loved this time of year, and the anticipation of playing in the snow the next morning was almost too much to stand.

She knew it would be a beautiful day tomorrow, even though it seemed impossible that it could get any better than this.

_  
And I'm a child of the pleasure  
Daddy brings before he runs_

Looking past the hazy partition of glass which she was quietly decorating, she tilted her head as a figure came quickly up the path.

Then, with a gasp of delight, she turned and raced out of her bedroom and down to the entrance hall. The door opened with little sound, and a man stepped inside. "Daddy!" The little girl cheered, tumbling into his snowflaked arms.

"Ella, darling," he replied, patting her hair as he smiled.

"I almost thought you weren't coming," little Ella said, a bit of a pout forming on her lips.

But her father just smiled. "Of course I would. It's your birthday. Now, where's your mother?"

And as briskly as he had appeared, he whisked around the corner. Suddenly standing alone, she directed her attention at where he had been standing a moment before and offered a small sigh.

_He sits behind a desk of mahogany  
He whispers dreams into my ear _

Ella slipped quietly around the corner and into the darkened hall, coming closer to her father's office.

She could hear him humming some strange tune that she didn't know, and intrigued, she ventured closer until she stuck her head around doorframe. It took a moment for her father to notice her, but when he did he raised a brow. "Yes Miss Ella?" He jested lightly, glancing at the papers on his mahogany wood desk once more and scratchily writing something out.

"What are you doing?" Ella replied with a separate question.

Sighing, he set down his quill. As he folded his hands on the papers and intertwined his fingers, Ella admired him. She had always admired his comforting stature, despite her young age. But he did intimidate her a little, as most adults did no matter what.

"I'm working." He said simply. "Papers for work is all, anything else?"

She shook her head quickly.

_  
And though I've given him his empire  
He delivers me my fear_

"You know Ella, one day-"

He was cut off by a pop, and the sudden entrance of a tall man that Ella had never seen. He wasn't very appealing in the least, and Ella backed herself up against the wooden doorframe. The man only glanced at her as he pocketed what looked like a white mask into his overcoat pocket.

He acknowledged her father, however, with a slow nod. "Anderton, I've come to discuss some… matters."

"Ah, Macnair. I've been expecting you." It was her father's smooth voice as he stood up from his seat. "Ella," he said. "Why don't you go to your room and read?"

Without a word, Ella backed from the room, glancing from her father and the newcomer again before racing to her room.

_The unicorns are riding high  
Powerful in coats of white  
I turn to look and burn my eyes_

Flipping a page, Ella watched the gallant white unicorns dash across the pages. They were so very beautiful.

Lying upon her bed, she studied each page of her beloved book of unicorns with intensity not usually seen in a child. But the pictures let her escape the current setting she was in right now, and as she filled her thoughts with these beautiful creatures she forgot all about the strange man in her father's office, and the cool demeanor of Mr. Anderton as well.

What beautiful, powerful creatures…

_I carry on, I carry all the weight of empty promise  
As I stand swallowed by the light  
_

Ten years later, the seventeen year old version of Capella Anderton clutched the letter in her hand. Thankfully, the Gryffindor Common Room was deserted and quiet, only the warm fire offering any noise at all.

Shaking, she closed her eyes and let the silent tears roll gently down her face.

Her parents…

Voldemort...

He had killed them.

Letting the letter drop from her fingertips, she fell back into an armchair, overcome with grief. It was mostly her father, she now knew. He had chosen to consort with the Dark Lord early on, and now—he was gone, her mother with him.

Forever.

_Flickering above the highway  
I hold my head and know the streets are mine tonight_

It wasn't Hogsmeade weekend, but Ella was out in the village anyways. It was the middle of the night, two weeks after the life-changing letter.

Everyone said that they were desperately sorry, and that they knew it was hard for her.

But how could they know? Had they all lost their parents to the Dark Lord?

Her breath fogged as it hit the chilled air of the night. It was like the night so long ago, she remembered. She could still clearly see the man who had come to talk with her father in her mind- his unappealing face, demeanor, and his mask.

He was a Death Eater.

_The vampires are growing tired  
The coats of white all turn to red _

Suddenly, Ella was brought away from her thoughts as the sound of footsteps was heard, as well as the low talking of voices. Brows furrowed, she frowned. Who would be out in the middle of the night like this?

Well, besides her.

From around the corner of an alley, figures appeared, talking in quiet, merry voices and Ella stopped. The Marauders- at least, three of them.

James Potter, Peter Pettigrew and Sirius Black were widely known around the school, obviously for their misbehavior and charming qualities.

Well, all except for Peter.

He just freaked her out.

As they spotted her, they stopped talking, and she wished they hadn't. She hated this sudden solemn state of all her classmates. She just wished they could all go back to being the laughing, fun bunch of before.

The Marauders were alright, most of the time. Of course, it was impossible for them to stay down for very long.

"Hey, Elle." James said softly, a small smirk adorning his face. "What're you doing out? You're going to catch a cold if you're not careful."

"Oh ha, James, don't baby me." Ella pushed her hair back behind her ears. "You're the one who's not supposed to be out, Head Boy and all. Lily'd be very ashamed to know that you were gallivanting about. Tsk tsk." She smiled a little.

The Potters lived down the road from the Andertons, offering a friendly relationship between the two children in result of many a played game of Quidditch and Wizards' Chess. They'd known each other growing up, and in the long run, Ella had made friends with each of the Marauders.

And in unison they all grinned at Ella's mock disappointment.

_  
My heart burns with desire  
I carry on, I carry on_

"Well then, Miss Capella Anderton. Might I escort you back to the Gryffindor Common Room?" Sirius Black now said. Hands in pockets, he walked forward a few paces.

She made a face, but shrugged in submission none the less.

Smirking, he said. "I'll catch you later James, Peter."

As they walked in silence through the castle, Ella glanced over at him. Over the past two years, they had been together more than a few times, and every time Ella had her heart broken by mindless other boys, he had somehow always been there with a comforting word.

It was the Sirius Black that many didn't know.

It was the Sirius Black that Ella cherished.

Now, as they reached the portrait hole of the Common Room, he spoke only to say the password, and with such the Fat Lady let them in.

Directing herself immediately towards the stairs that led up to the girls dormitories, Ella made leave with only a small murmur of thanks left behind.

"Ella."

She turned, one foot placed on the bottom stair. "What?"

"I'm really sorry," he said quietly, rubbing the back of his neck.

Stepping back down into the Common Room, Ella sighed. "Yeah, well, I guess it happens. The Dark Lord just… it happens."

And then suddenly she was overcome with emotion. "Sorry." She said through her quiet sobs, not even realizing that he had stepped forward, arms open. Letting herself be wrapped up in his embrace, she pressed her face into his chest, his comforting scent washing over her numb state.

"It's alright," he whispered, pressing his lips to her hair. "It's okay."

And she believed him.

_The unicorns are riding high  
Powerful in coats of white  
We turn to look and burn our eyes _

A few months later, Ella smiled as Sirius lay back against the grass, stretching his arms out above his head. The night was fairly young, the sun only now settling against the treetops of the forest, which they were facing.

Leaning back on her elbows, she said, "You know, McGonagall might find us."

"Pah, Minnie Shminnie." He said a little incoherently as he yawned, "It's good to be outside, and you know it. With all the testing going on, we barely even have time for Quidditch let alone a little time to ourselves."

Rolling her eyes, Ella studied the edge of the forest idly. But then a hint of white appeared and she sat transfixed. Maybe…

"Sirius." She whispered, nudging him with her foot. "Look."

And for a moment, they both watched the powerful unicorn as it warily pranced around the edge of the woodlands. Then it was gone.

_I carry on, I carry  
The vampires are growing tired  
The coats of white all turn to red _

Laughter spread around the room as James continued his story.

"But then Sirius decided to roll himself in honey and feathers and go dancing in the neighbor's yard. I didn't have the heart to tell him that he'd missed a spot, but apparently Mrs. Terrell was perfectly fine with it."

Out of Hogwarts now, it wasn't often that everyone was able to get together like this. But on occasion, it happened.

Ella smiled good-naturedly, and glanced at Sirius. Their eyes met for a moment, and then James spoke again. "Oh, and there was the time that we decided to put Mrs. Norris the cat in a rather provocative position with a goblin statue…"

She dazed out of the conversation, her eyes still on his. For the past week or so, she had stayed over at his flat more than once. Not that anyone knew.

Or did they?

_My heart burns with desire  
I carry on, I carry on _

A nudge went from Lily to James, as she sat on the arm of his chair. She whispered something so undertone that only he could hear, and his eyes darted towards Sirius, noting for the first time that he wasn't paying attention.

"Alright guys, Lily and I are going to head on if that's alright." He gave a meaningful look to Remus, who nodded. "Right, me too. Talk to you later Padfoot."

And as they all disappeared one by one, Peter included as he didn't want to be left out, Ella broke the gaze. "So I guess I'll just-"

She didn't have a moment before Sirius lips were upon hers.

"Don't go," he whispered, tangling his hands in her dark wavy hair. "Please."

And she relented, kissing him back with equal fever.

_I carry on  
I carry on  
We carry on_


End file.
